A Royal Wedding Amid Global Mourning Sparks Controversy

Princess Maria Laura announced her upcoming wedding in September, anticipated to be the most talked-about royal celebration of the year — and it certainly was. However, it made history not for its grandeur, but for its unprecedented boldness.

On Sunday, September 11, 2022, the world mourned as Queen Elizabeth II's final journey commenced: a solemn procession transported her coffin from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh. The 280-kilometer route took six hours, passing through numerous Scottish towns and villages. With the Queen's passing, an era ended, along with a collective joy felt across the United Kingdom.

In light of the monarch’s death, many significant events—including sports matches and major strikes—were either canceled or postponed. Authorities advised that while organizers were not required to cancel events scheduled on the day of the funeral, they had the option to adjust timing or dates to show respect.

Football matches in the Premier League and English Football League were postponed until Tuesday, and all games in the Women's Super League, Women’s Championship, and Women's FA Cup were rescheduled. It seemed the entire nation united in shared grief. Almost the entire nation, that is, except for British businessman William Isvy, who just three days after the Queen’s death, celebrated an extravagant wedding by marrying Princess Maria Laura, niece of the Belgian king.

Princess Maria Laura, also known as Archduchess of Austria-Este, is the niece of King Philippe of Belgium and the eldest daughter of Belgian Princess Astrid and Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este.

The engagement was announced last year with a series of photos showcasing her dazzling diamond and sapphire engagement ring. At that time, the princess revealed her wedding date as September 10, 2022.

The groom, William Isvy, has British-French roots: he was raised in London, where the couple currently resides. William is an investment banker born in Paris to a British mother and Moroccan father.

Many expected the wedding to be postponed due to the national mourning following the Queen's death. There was no doubt it would be delayed. However, it proceeded as planned, sparking considerable anger among the British public.

The royal wedding took place on September 10 in Brussels. The morning civil ceremony saw the bride don a daring ivory mini dress by Gucci, paired with matching Gucci shoes — a bold choice for a titled royal. The groom wore an elegant dark navy three-piece suit complemented by polished shoes.

Other members of the royal family attended, including King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, former King Albert II and Queen Paola (Maria Laura is their granddaughter), the bride’s parents Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz, as well as Albert II’s illegitimate daughter Princess Delphine with her children, among other notable relatives.

The wedding was luxurious and met all the standards of a royal celebration. Yet many remain puzzled as to how the Belgian royal family chose not to postpone the event out of solidarity, even by a week. However, insiders defend the couple, emphasizing that a wedding is a significant event prepared over many months, involving substantial investments of time and money that cannot simply be canceled.

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Photo credits: Legion-Media

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